Dear NEW SUBSCRIBERS: I love ya! But, please note that I moved to a wordpress.org site a few months ago. Find me at www.marketyourcreativity.com for the latest articles and interviews. Here’s just a sample of what’s been happening on Marketing Creativity:

Welcome to this month’s edition of:

I’m going to run this edition of Spotted Sensations a little different than usual. The truth is, I have A LOT to talk about, and the sub-topics I usually mention here have turned into super blog posts. I’ve spent the last month dreaming up new ideas, reorganizing my business plan, and filling my virtual address book with new, deliciously creative souls. Today I want to introduce you to some fabulous interweb places and happenings:

Coaching + Networking = EXPANSION

In the coming months, I’m going to start talking to you about huge projects, big ideas, and exponential growth. I’m going to share some big wins I’ve scored, and then I’ll give you starry affirmations and practical advice to help you achieve the same. But before I do, I have to share with you the professional fuel behind my fire.

I’ve long heard the advice that hiring the right professionals and surrounding yourself with other successful people will boost your career, and I’ll be more than happy to prove that theory in 2013 🙂 Here’s credit where credit is due:

I have monthly meetings with Tiffany, and they are powerful. In each session, she asks life-changing questions and issues challenges that excite me. A phone call with her is like a mental massage for my brain, and I always leave the meeting with a deep sigh of relief, feeling refreshed and reinvigorated. Working with Tiffany has brought absolute clarity to my vision, and I highly recommend her services.

Fizzle is a professional network that was built by Corbett Barr, Chase Reeves, and Caleb Wojcik. Their tagline is, “Honest Video Training for Online Business Builders,” but I’m here to tell you: It’s so much more than that. Fizzle is full of wildly successful, big-thinking, beautiful people, and they all gather in a private forum where like-minded business owners can let their hair down, share their wins, process their losses, and support one another.

If I had a brick-and-mortar, I’d join the chamber of commerce and local country club to mingle and network with like-minded business owners. But, I don’t have a physical storefront. I live online, and Fizzle is the motherboard of online networking. If you’re serious about building your creative business, I strongly encourage you to consider joining the Fizzle community.

Challenge: Practice Mindfulness

Don’t let the holidays drive you crazy! Let December be about reflection and meditation. Bite into a big slice of peace, and appreciate the present moment for the gift that it is. Join my friends, John and Kristin in a month-long challenge to:

Twitter Leads

I’ve been on Twitter for a couple of years now, but I only recently started using the account to do more than follow my favorite Real Housewives. 🙂 This month I found a few (new to me) resources for creative business owners. They are:

Up Next

Finally, I am planning my reflection and resolution series to bring us into the New Year. I’m looking back on 2012 a little bit earlier because of it, and I have a lot to be proud of! I hope you do, too!!

Have you heard of Leonie Dawson? She’s an artist and spiritual teacher, and she’s made of dreamy affirmations and hard-core productivity tips. Her stuff is delicious!

I’ll be incorporating a large portion of this program into the 7-day reflection and resolution series. The pages of this calendar and planner are currently spread out all over my office floor, just waiting to be prepped and pasted! It’s going to be the perfect companion to our work, so please do consider getting a copy for yourself. You won’t be disappointed!

NEW SUBSCRIBERS: I’ve moved, please find me at my new address: http://www.marketyourcreativity.com for the latest articles and interviews. Here’s just a sample of what’s been happening on Marketing Creativity:

Please join me for this month’s edition of …

Go Where Opportunity Can See You

I recently settled down with my children for a showing of Mary Poppins. It’s been a few years since I had seen it last, and I love to revisit a classic. In it, (the character) Bert says,

“What did I tell ya? There’s the whole world at your feet. And who gets to see it? But the birds, the stars and the chimney sweeps.”

I’m often talking about perspective. I’m fortunate to live high on a mountain right now, and right beside me in my own back yard? An even higher peak. I hike it often, especially on beautiful days, for the view and perspective it offers.

When you work from home, it’s easy to get lost in the maze of your own four walls. Spaciousness is a value in my life, and for me, small spaces = small ideas. There’s something about climbing above the noise, being still, and watching the motion of the world beneath you.

Even if you don’t have your own personal mountain to climb, close your eyes and adopt a bird’s eye view of the day you’re facing. Allow your mind to rise above the noise, and imagine the whole world at your feet.

Instant Digital Downloads for Your Etsy Shop

If you’ve ever created a downloadable product, you’ll know what a hassle it is to sell it on Etsy! You can’t offer instant download, as you can on other marketplaces or your own website. Instead, you have to email every file sold after the sale. But, not anymore!

{I learned about this from Handmadeology.} I’m not using it (yet), but Craft Hub connects with your Etsy shop and enables instant email downloads to your paying customers (perfect for e-books, patterns, and tutorials). Easy Peasy!

Submit Your Shop for Increased Exposure

I love to talk about all the free opportunities to get your products seen! Here’s a list of places to submit, sparked by my latest find, 20 Best 20. These blogs are actively looking for products and sellers to feature:

A Special Message Just for You

Oracle cards are a big part of my life, and the Soul Purpose set by Sonia Choquette are my favorite. If you’re not familiar, oracle cards contain guidance and encouraging messages. If you’re a believer, like me, you shuffle the deck and pull a card that reads the information or advice you’re needing to hear in that moment.

The above quote, “You Can Make a Career of Living Happily Ever After” came from the Law of Attraction cards I keep on my iPad. It was so perfectly what I needed to hear the day I pulled it.

These cards are a valuable source of guidance in my life, so I thought, why not pull a card to end this post and see how you all respond. Take it or leave it. Just before I published this article, I asked aloud, “What does the person reading this post need to know right now?” and pulled a card. The answer was …

Grieve Your Losses

Are you grieving over lost opportunities? Do you languish over the mistakes you made that caused such loss? Do you think that you blew your chances and fear that they won’t come again? Are you feeling lost due to poor choices and can’t seem to find yourself?

If so, you’re on to something. It’s true that some of the choices you’ve made in life have had disastrous consequences, but it’s important to accept this–not to punish yourself indefinitely, but to teach yourself not to repeat these decisions in the future.

Your soul’s purpose right now is to grieve your mistakes fully so that you can learn from the resultant losses.

I’ve spent the last week under construction, and Marketing Creativity has been redesigned. It’s the same content, but I’ve switched to WordPress.org. Find me at: http://www.marketyourcreativity.com If you were following me via RSS or on your feed reader, you may have to update your subscription by searching or typing in the above URL. If you […]

1. Home office inspiration: Into the Light | 2. Ganesha is the Hindu God of Success and this print comes from The Wheatfield | 3. Amanda of Wit and Whistle is an upcoming interviewee, and these chevron-striped notecards are available at the Etsy shop | 4. I love the @ sign for representing my online business, and […]

Please welcome Angie of the shop, Jellybeans on Etsy. Angie hails from Owen Sound in Ontario, Canada and works at her local hospital as an X Ray technician. I’m a long-time admirer of her art, and she is a proud, part-time creative–as told on her blog, Part-Time Creative. There she reveals her process and a behind-the-scenes […]

I’ve become typography-obsessed. From simple quotes to elaborate posters, it’s all I can see right now! My obsession started three weeks ago as I was planning for the upcoming manifesto and e-course for Marketing Creativity. I knew I would need a cover, and I hoped to have the entire program graphically designed. However, I’ve worked with […]

Please meet Tara of taradara on Etsy! When I found her blog, I quickly realized that Tara is a terrific resource for handmade artists. I learned so much by looking through her posts; she’s involved in creative events, workshops, conferences, and groups that I’d never even heard of before. I was intrigued by Tara’s achievements, and the […]

Recently, shop owner Tony of Candlekraze reached out to ask if I had any advice for him. I took one look, realized he was selling candles, and started to type a mile-a-minute. Typically, I do not offer advice on an individual basis, which I explained to Tony. I told him that if we turned his […]

I’m thrilled to welcome you for a closer look inside the whimsical world of Bealoo Kids. If you haven’t met already, I would like to introduce you to Bea, the artistic painter and creative mind behind these creations. I think you’ll be as absolutely taken with her talent as I am! Join me, as we explore her […]

1. Stationary software:: Martha Stewart CraftStudio App {Free until July 8, 2012} The image above is an example of how you can create stationary with this app (mine’s downloading as I write this!). It’s only free for a limited time, so have at it. 2. If you’ve ever wondered how they antique and color and style all the […]